CHAPTER 7: THE START OF A JOURNEY
After a while of walking and avoiding hordes of undead, the three of us finally made it to the Main Building in under an hour. Beatrice and Mandy weren't speaking to each other. I don't think that they'll ever forgive one another for what just went down. I knocked on the front door and then waited until Pete opened it. "You've been gone for hours. Where's the Jocks?" he says. I took a deep breath and answered, "They're all dead. The Nerds too". "Come in before anymore of those things come", Pete says. We walked in while Pete closed the doors and locked it shut. "Where's Clayton?" I asked him. "He's up top on the roof. He found some barrels and he's setting up some water system. Hoping to catch rain with it", he answers. I turned to the girls and said, "Go to the Cafeteria and get something to eat".
I left them and went up the stairs to the Roof Access. There, I climbed more stairs and finally got to the roof. I climbed down the ladder on the scaffolding and saw what Clayton was doing. He must have been up here all day sawing the top of the barrels open. He definitely has this whole zombie outbreak / apocalypse thing figured out. He said he planned on setting barrels up here to catch the rain and he did, for when the waterlines stop working. I'm glad he's part of our group. We may actually survive this. Probably forever or until the government makes a vaccine...hopefully without my blood.
"I heard the commotion an hour ago. Want to explain what happened?" Clayton says behind my back. I jumped as I unexpectedly didn't know that he was behind me. "Don't do that. Next time, I might mistake you for a zombie", I told him. "Shit, these things can't talk. They're mostly stupid", Clayton states. "For all you know, they can use weapons", I stated. "That's a George Romero film that's never gonna hit theaters", Clayton says. I turned to the direction of the Observatory and saw the smoke floating from the car that I destroyed. "What I can say about what happened down there...it was a bloodbath. Everyone dead. Only me and two other girls survived", I then told him. "I'm guessing the Jocks fought among themselves?" Clayton asks. "No, against the Nerds. Earnest was over his head, Ted was unstable. In the end, they both lost", I answered. "So the Nerds were alive too? That's surprising", Clayton says. "No, it's not", I retorted. "They had thick walls to support them from the dangers of the living dead. Unfortunately, the gate couldn't hold them from the dangers of the living. The Jocks, they wanted the Observatory. The Nerds wouldn't give it up though without a fight".
After a while of taking it all in, Clayton then says, "I think it's time for dinner. I've done all that I can do up here". "Man, it's dinner time already? Good, I haven't eaten since breakfast", I said. "Angie should have been finished with her cooking by now. Why don't we go head and get something to eat?" Clayton suggests. We both left the rooftop and went down to the Cafeteria. It's been a rough day. But now, I can just relax and think things through.
2 Hours Later; 8:30 PM
After the delicious dinner that Angie managed to make, I went to the Teachers' Lounge and looked over the town map. If what the others said about the cliques moving off campus to make their own safe havens is true, then they'll probably have moved back to their own districts. While I was focusing on the map, I didn't notice Zoe came in until she put her hands on my shoulders. "So Jimmy...what are you doing?" she whispers in my ear. "I'm trying to figure out where the other cliques may have settled outside the school", I told her. "And what makes you think that they're willing to come back here and help us?" she asks curiously.
"They're gonna have to if they don't have any supplies. I've been thinking entirely throughout dinner what if all the grocery stores are bone dry of any food", I stated. "Well, they should be. When the shit hit the fan, everyone started packing food and water to sustain themselves for however long this would last. All that would be left in the Yum-Yum Markets would probably be a few rotten fruits and shattered glass", she explained. "Did anyone even got out of town?" I asked her. "Not that I know of. Maybe not since the military closed off the only road and prevented any ships from entering the harbor", she answered. "I got to at least try and bring us all together. To survive, since leaving probably isn't a choice. Do you know where the other cliques may be right now?" I asked her.
Zoe then sat down in one of the chairs beside me and looked at the map with me. "Well let's see. Who do you want to look for first?" she asks. "I'm thinking of seeking the Preppies first. They probably have powerful weapons that they bought prior to all this and could provide us with protection", I suggested. "Well, they'll probably be either at the boxing gym or at Tad Spencer's house", Zoe suggested. I drew red X's on the Spencer's Estate and Boxing Gym. "Next, I think the Greasers may be hold up at the Tenements or probably the junkyard most likely", Zoe said. I then placed two more X's on the Tenements and junkyard. "And your friends from Blue Skies?" I asked her. "I think they would have either taken the Wonder-Meats Slaughterhouse or the Happy Volts nuthouse", she suggested. I placed two more X's on the map. "What about the other half of the Nerds or the Bullies?" I asked her. "What other half of the Nerds?" she asks.
"The Nerds had a dispute and the other half went somewhere in Bullworth Town. Probably Dragon Wings' Comics. But then again, there's no walls surrounding that building", I told her. "That's if they made it. Who knows, they're probably dead by now. The same with the Bullies because I have no idea where those guys are right now", she says. I folded the map and put it in my pants pocket. "You're really going to look for the others?" Zoe asks. "We could make this entire school safe rather than just the Main Building", I told her. "You're such an idealist", she retorted. "Just making our lives safer", I said back. She kissed me on the cheek and asks, "Coming to bed?" "In a minute", I told her. She went to the couch and lied down on it. I quickly took the map out and looked at it again. "I just hope there's other people left alive out there", I said to myself. I put the map away and then went to the couch to make out with Zoe.
The Next Day; 7:00 AM
"You're going out again?" Clayton asks in disbelief. "But you were almost killed the other day". "I think that we may stand a chance if we get the survivors from out there to join our group", I told him. "That's if there are other survivors left. You're just going on a hunch. I only let you go out yesterday because I knew there were survivors back there. But to let you venture off into the town when it's overrun with zombies. I'm not letting you go out there", Clayton says. "Clayton has a point", Pete said, joining in on our conversation. "We need more people here to keep our haven safe. Plus, we'll probably be saving lives. Isn't that a good thing?" I asked them. "You said the Jocks were hostile. What if the other groups are hostile too? We can't risk exposing our position to anyone", Pete says. "If they're hostile, then I'll leave them be and not give away any information about our group", I suggested. "And another thing...how are you going to get to each destination? I'm sure you're not crazy enough to walk out there", Clayton tells me.
"I'll find a ride. After-all, there are a few cars in the parking lot plus two in the Auto-shop. I'm sure they're still working", I suggested. "Okay, then how are you going to bring them here?" Clayton then asks. "There is a school bus in the lot beside the Auto-shop", Zoe stated as she walked up. "I'm sure that it's still operational. It was after-all used to evacuated the kids to the school when it all started". "So you agree with Jimmy?" Clayton asks her. "I know what he's talking about is suicide, but he's doing it with good intentions. I'm sure he'll find someone out there. People to help us take this school back from the dead and make it entirely safe", she answers. Clayton slowly turns to me and asks, "So, you're willing to risk your own life to make ours easier?" "If we can't get stronger people, then we'll be stuck in here forever", I started to explain. "With stronger people, we could clean the hordes on school grounds, have guards to keep an eye on the gates or anywhere else that intruders could get in through. Instead of just making the Main Building safe, we could have most of the school safe. We already have two barriers in the south thanks to the Jocks when they inhabited the Athletic's Area. We could shut the parking lot gate, close off the paths to the woods, have the whole school safe and cordoned off. It's a risk worth taking if we can achieve that goal".
Clayton took a moment to think about what I just said. After a while, he finally decided on his choice. "Alright, I guess that's a plan worth taking. But you have to make sure that the groups you interview are safe people", he tells me. "Trust me man, these cliques that I dealt with are pretty much safe people", I told him. "The Jocks were dangerous and you knew them", Clayton pointed out. "It just might be the same for the Greasers...or even the Townies. I know what happened months ago. About the war between the dropouts and the academy. Doesn't sound like the kind of people that I wanna deal with". "It will be alright, trust me", I told him. "Alright. Let me give you some supplies and I'll walk with you to the door".
He headed for the Cafeteria to get some supplies while I stand there with Zoe and Pete. "Thanks Zoe", I told her. She went up to me and kissed me on the lips. "Just be careful out there. I don't need to lose you too", she said before she walked away. "You really want to bring all these people here? I don't like that", Pete replied. "We can't hold this building forever. Eventually, something might happen to Russell or me or even Clayton. Luck won't be on our side forever. That's why we'll need more people", I told him. "Well, I hope you're right. And I hope you know what you're doing", Pete says. "Trust me Pete, if I knew what I was doing throughout the year, then I know what I'm doing now. I'm sure there's still people that like me", I told him.
Clayton came back with a few bags of chips, few bottles of water and a med-kit. He even had a Spud Gun strapped on his back. "Here's some stuff that will last you for a few days", he says as he handed them to me. "Thanks", I told him. "Now we need to find you a car to drive around in", he tells me. "You think there will be any zombies in the parking lot?" I asked him. "One way to find out", he says as he lifted up his baseball bat. "Time for some fun, Shelly", he says to his bat. We then walked out the door and started making our way to the parking lot. We took out a few zombies on the way with our melee weapons. Once we got to the parking lot, there was four cars to choose from: a green Blista Compact XL, a blue Regina, a dark blue Esperanto and a brown Ranger Supreme. "I think I'll take the Ranger", I told Clayton.
We ran up to the truck and then opened the door. "You know how to hot wire a car?" I then asked. "I do. Just keep me covered", Clayton says as he got in the car and started to hot wire it. After a while of messing with the car, he finally got the truck to start. "Alright, once you're out there don't expect us to help you out. You're on your own. Best of luck to you", he held out his hand. I grabbed it and we shook hands. "I'll come back as soon as I find all the others", I told him. "I'll see what I can do with the school bus while you're gone. Again, good luck out there. And remember what I told you about facing those hordes. Only take one, two or three". "Thanks", I said as I closed the door. I then drove out the parking lot. I looked in the mirror to see him close the gates behind me, probably to try and prevent anymore hordes from entering the school grounds. Man, I hope nothing happens to them while I'm gone.